Sanitary cot.



F. S. INCO.

SANITARY COT.

APPLxcATloN HLED Aue.24. 1915.

Patented July 25,1916.

FEANCIS S. ICO, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SANITARY co'r.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patenteu July 25, 1916.

Application filed August 24, 1915. Serial No. 47,170.

To all whom it may concem Be it known that I, FnANors S. INoo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Sanitary Cot, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cots, and particularly relates to what is known to the trade as sanitary cots.- These` cots are formed of metal, and are ordinarily so arranged that they can be used either as a full sized bed, or a narrow seat.

The first object of my invention is to provide a cot which is provided with a folding portion which can be raised to form a back when used as a seat, or which can -be lowered flat 'so that the cot forms a full sized bed, this folding portion or back being provided with a new and useful form of looking means i for holding it in its raised position.

, The second object of my invention is to 'provide a cot which will have such a folding back, and which will also have folding end legs at either end of the cot so arranged that the cot can be packed flat in shipment. Cots When so packed take up very little space, and the expense lof shipping is correspondingly reduced.

The third object of the invention is to provide in such a cot a folding back which has an outer leg secured near the extreme outer edge of the back in its lowered position, this leg being so arranged that it folds up inside the back when the back is raised.

The fourth object of the invention is to provide novel bracing means for said folding leg so that it is held rigidly Vertical when the back is lowered to form a bed.

The fifth object of the invention is to provide a sanitary cot in which the folding back is equipped with a special form of joint so constructed that the back is wholly supported by the body portion of the cot under normal conditions, the outer leg being utilized only to support the weight of a person resting thereon. By the use ofthis special form of joint it is possibleto equip the end legs of the cot with standard casters, and to move the cot on these casters even when the back is down, the outer leg on the back being held a short distance above the floor under these conditions.

z Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter. a

In the drawings which are for illustrative 'of clearness.

purposes only: Figure 1 is a front view of the cot with the back raised, one of the end legs being shown in dotted lines in its folded position. Fig. 2 is an end view of the cot,

the back and outer leg being shown in full lines in its raised position, and in dotted lines in its lowered position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the cot, the

mattress structure being omitted for the sake Fig. 4 is an enlarged endview showing the joint about which the back turns, a portion of the back and brace being shown at its lowered position in full lines, and in its raised position in dotted lines.

In the preferred form of construction shown the cot consists of a body portion 11 formed of two` angle iron members 12 extending across the cot at either end, and secured to castings 13 at either side. of the cot. The castings 13 are connected by pipe members 14 which extend longitudinally of the cotv at either side thereof. Pivoted on pins 15 and 16 on the pipe members 14 are braces 17 and 18, these braces being also pivoted at 19 and 20 on end leg members 21. The end leg members 21 are preferably formed of pipe bent in the 'form shown in Fig. 2, and provided with casters 23 at their lower end. Lugs 24 are formed on the castings 13 extending inwardly toward the center of the cot in such a position that the braces 15 rest against them with the legs 21 in their operative position. The braces 17 and 18 are of such a length, and are so located that the legs 21 may each be folded up under the cot into the position shown in dotted lines at 25 of Fig. 1.

A back 30 preferably formed of angle iron bent in the form shown in Fig. 1 is pivoted at either end to the angle iron members 11 on pins 31. A spring structure 32 is secured to the back 30, and to the angle iron members -11 at either end of the cot, the spring structure 32 being of any convenient form, and being so arranged that it forms a continuous structure when the back 30 is let down into the position shown in dotted lines at 33 in Fig. 2.

In'practlce I prefer to formthe spring structure of wire members 34 and coil iron bent into a rectangular frame as shown in Fig. 3, of sucha width that it folds inside the back member 30 when that back is in the raised position. The upper pin 36 is so located that the folding leg 37 rubs on the body portion 11 at a point 38 when it is raised to frictionally assist'in locln'ng the '3 back in its raised position as will be further explain'ed hereafter. Back braces 39 are pivoted on pins 40 'secured to the leg 37 'at a point just below the upper pin 36, these 4on the angle irons 12 when the back 30 is let down, the leg 37 not being of sumcient length to reach entirelyto the floor under these conditions. This enables the cot' to be moved around on the casters 23 without the leg 37 touching the floor, even when the mattress and bed clothes are in place on the cot. The leg 37 is, however, very close to the floor sothat the weight of a person on the cot is suflicient to cause it to touch the floor, the elasticity of the various parts permitting this.

The relationship of the pins 36, 40, 31,

'and 41,' is such that the parts assume the position shownin Fig. -2 in their raised and lowered positions. In the lowered position the outer leg 37 is held rigidly in an approximately'vertical position by the brace 39, and as the back 30 is raised the leg 37 ifolds inside the back 30, being guidedby the brace 39. When the back is in the raised position as shown in Fig. 3 the pin-40 has passed through a straight line joining the pins 36 and 41 so that the back 30 is locked in place, this looking being assisted by the friction of the leg 37 against the angle irons 12 at the point 38.

When it is desiredrto ship the cot the pin 41 is removed so that the brace 39 is re-- strained only by the pin 40, the back 30 is then lowered into'position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The leg 37 :is folded up inside the back, and each of the legs 21 is -folded up into the position shown at 25 in Fig. 1.` The cots can then be crated, taking up, very little space.

I am aware that cots have been made having folding back's,l and that such cots have been provided with folding legs for supporting the back.

I am further aware that structures similar to the end legs 21 have been previously used. I believe, however, that I am the first to make a sanitary cot which can be laid' out flatfor shipment. This I accomplish by fastening the mechanism of the back entirely to the angle irons 12, leaving the end legs 21 entirely free from any, attachment to the back mechanism so that they can be folded up regardless of the position of the back. In other words I believe that I am the first to make a sanitar'y cot with a folding back and supporting legs therefor which can be shipped flat.

I attach particular importance to the form of the folding outer leg W37 As'this leg is formed as a continuous rectangular frame it is possible forthe user of the cot to let down the back from either side, both of the Vertical members ofvthe frame moving in unison when operated from either side. By the use of this frame the security in looking the'back is greatly increased, and the ease and convenience of letting down the back is valso increased- The lower memberl of the frame also tends to stiffen the upright legs when in the lowered position so that a very rigid and solid construction is produced thereby.

I claim as my inventionz- In a cot a body portion forming a frame, aback pivoted 'to said body portion and forming an extension to said frame when let down into the lowered position or a back when raised'at right angles to said frame,

a spring structure secured inside said frame and said back in such a manner as to form a continuous approximately plane surface when the back is let down into the lowered position, an outer leg pivoted to the outer edge of said back, and a pair of braces each secured to said body portion and said outer leg in such a position that they lock said leg in a Vertical position when the back is let down and also coperate with said leg to lock said back with relation to said body when said back is in the raisedposition the lower edge of said leg frictiona'lly engaging said body portion when the back is raised for the purpose of assisting in locking'said back in the raised position. o

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 18th lday of August, 191'5..

FRANCIS S. INCO. 

